San Francisco Police Chief Says Making Criminals Sit on Ground is 'Demeaning'

San Francisco Police Chief William Scott says making criminals sit on the ground is 'demeaning'

San Francisco Police Chief William Scott has sent a memo to the rest of his force, banning officers from making criminals sit on the floor, saying it is "demeaning."

The practice, used by police forces worldwide, is intended to slow a suspect down should they attempt to flee after being apprehended.

But police officers in San Francisco may no longer demand that suspects – whether they are handcuffed or not – sit on the ground or sidewalk at a crime scene, the city’s police chief ordered in a department memo.

According to the Bay Area’s FOX 2, liberal Police Chief Scott views the technique as “demeaning” to suspects.

Earlier this month, a study by the University of California at Berkeley credited an increase in foot patrols by San Francisco police with helping to reduce crime in the city.

The city reassigned about 3.5 percent of its officers to foot patrols in summer 2017, and saw drops in assaults, larceny and vehicle thefts, the study said, according to the Daily Californian.

But the department has also seen its share of turmoil. Last week the family of a 21-year-old man – who was killed by a San Francisco police officer in 2016 -- filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city, the San Francisco Examiner reported.

The suit alleges that police overreacted to a situation at a barbershop instead of using de-escalation tactics being encouraged since 2016, the report said.